Chilango Express has officially made its move to a new location at 7030 W. Lincoln Ave.
Owners Juan and Guadalupe Ortiz have been planning the move into the former Sofia’s Italian Restaurant since last summer; their plans came to fruition last week when they made the transition from their former gas station location at 6821 W. Lincoln Ave. into the new space, which is unmistakable with its cheerful bright red exterior.
Inside, the restaurant boasts a full service dining room where you can take a seat at any number of booths or tables, some of which accommodate larger groups. Waitstaff will seat you and take your order; you can pay your bill at the counter when you’ve finished eating.
There’s also a bar (which serves basic cocktails like Captain and Coke, margaritas, micheladas and pina coladas, along with beers like Corona, Miller Lite, and Miller Genuine Draft. There’s also a small private dining room which can accommodate up to 12 people.
Meanwhile, the menu showcases the dishes that made the gas station restaurant such a destination, including tacos ($2/$2.50), quesadillas ($7), huaraches ($7) and sope ($7) along with burritos ($7), gorditas ($7), tortas ($7) and tostadas ($2.50). All are available individually or as a platter (with rice and beans) for $10.
Fillings include meats (chicken, pork, beef, Mexican sausage, beef tongue, sauced pork rinds and steak) along with mushrooms, cactus, poblano peppers, squash blossoms and huitlacoche.
Moving forward, the menu is also likely to expand to include items like fajitas and nachos.
Chilango Express will also continue serving weekend specials including menudo ($5.50 or $8.50) and roasted lamb served with housemade tortillas, lamb broth and all the fixings (cilantro, onions, limes, hot sauce, $13 per pound).
Chilango Express is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (closed on Wednesdays), Friday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Both dine-in and carry-out is available.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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